Wonder Wheels Original Wheel Cleaner, Wheel Sealant, Tyre Gloss Kit

The name is not the only similarity between this category and the waxes and sealants for paintwork, because the same fight between different formulas continues. On paint, traditional waxes have retained their advantage, but on wheels, where the coatings have to cope with heat from the brakes, new sealants have had the edge in our tests. How we tested them

A sealant is a protective product used in the final stage of detailing that is made up of polymers. Most sealants are made to form a chemical or covalent bond to the surface of your paintwork which allows the sealant to last longer than a traditional wax. Sealants also offer you stronger protection from the elements. Despite sounding scientific with phrases such as ‘chemical bonding’, paint sealants can actually be easy to apply. Some of our sealants will have YouTube videos attached which will tell you all you need to know about how to apply them safely and properly. Specialist sealants can keep your alloy wheels cleaner for longer, reducing the amount of washing you need to do. The UK’s erratic weather makes swapping tyres for the season even more attractive. All-season designs may be grabbing the makers’ focus, but the ultimate solution is to have the best tyres for the conditions, and these are the best 205/55R16 options for cold weather. Seal your wheels with the Wonder Wheels Wheel Sealant & keep your rims and alloys cleaner for longer Once applied Wheel Seal keeps wheels clean for up to four weeks, sealing & protecting the surface, making the wheels much easier to clean next time round

We weren’t just looking for a wheel wax that was easy to apply; it also had to last. After cleaning our test car’s wheels, we divided the driver’s side front rim, leaving one section untreated.

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Our test of summer tyres was postponed before it had even started, but we’d completed most of our annual look at winter designs before travel restrictions began to bite.

For our test we applied a range of products to a large wheel, and monitored grime build-up over six weeks. We took price into account, including the long-lasting nature of hard waxes, and how easy they were to apply. Verdict a>